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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. face — part of the head
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. snap — to click
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. face — to confront
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bat — the animal
  24. face — to point toward

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com